Geographic data collection systems have used cables to communicatively couple survey devices with controllers. One example is a satellite navigation signal receiver which is often mounted on top of a pole. The controller for the pole mounted receiver was often mounted at a second position on the pole which was easier for an operator to access in order to view displayed information and to input data and/or commands.
More recently, wireless communication links have been used to communicatively couple the pole mounted receiver with the controller. The use of wireless communication links has been advantageous in that the cable connectors are expensive and can be damaged, thus rendering the receiver/controller system unusable. This is especially problematic when damage occurs away from the office due to the remote locations at which surveying is frequently performed and the resulting amount of time it takes to replace the cabling.
Often, Bluetooth® communication devices are used to communicatively couple the receiver with the controller. Bluetooth® is a standard and communications protocol for creating ad-hoc short range wireless networks, also known as personal area networks (PANs). Bluetooth® uses a frequency-hopping spread spectrum short-range radio frequency communication system to facilitate low bandwidth communications between devices. Thus, devices can be out of line of sight and still communicate as long as they are within range of each other. Typically, Bluetooth® devices initiate a discovery process in which they wirelessly detect other Bluetooth® devices in the vicinity. The other Bluetooth® devices send information such as a device name. A list of the Bluetooth® devices is then displayed and a user can select one or more devices to pair with to create a network.
One drawback of this system is that, when attempting to create or configure a wireless link between surveying devices and controllers, other Bluetooth® devices in the vicinity may hinder the process. For example, a surveyor may attempt to configure the wireless link between a surveying device and a controller in the office prior to taking the equipment to the field. Thus, if a piece of equipment is defective it can be replaced without the necessity of returning to the office. However, when initiating the Bluetooth® connection process, other Bluetooth® devices in the vicinity such as cellular telephones and/or personal digital assistants (PDAs) may also respond during the Bluetooth® discovery process. Additionally, other Bluetooth® equipped surveying devices in the vicinity (e.g., other controllers, receivers, etc.) will also respond during the Bluetooth® discovery process. Thus, when attempting to create a communication link between a controller and a receiver, it may be more difficult for a user to correctly determine which is the correct receiver with which to communicatively couple. Alternatively, the user may communicatively couple with the wrong receiver. Thus, when the user takes the equipment to the survey site and uses the controller to communicate with the receiver, it is discovered that the controller cannot communicate with the receiver. An additional disadvantage is that a number of screens are navigated in order to create and configure the wireless connection between devices. Many users find navigation of the screens to be difficult and/or counter intuitive which complicates the process.